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Vegetarian Way of Life- Jain philosophy and its practice of Non-Violence and vegetarianism was a positive influence to many non-Jains in ancient India for whom animal consumption and sacrifices were common practices. However, the need for a vegetarian lifestyle is even more applicable today where billions of animals are painfully raised, dismembered, tortured, and slaughtered for food, leather, and other byproducts. Click here to read on ... Vegetarian Way of LifeCompassionate Healthy Diet- Throughout the day we eat a variety of food. Food governs not only our physical health but our mental well being and our social interactions. A Jain Way of Life diet minimizes harm to living beings. Jains believe that all living beings have Souls, unlike other traditions, who believe that only humans have Souls. Hence, killing of any living creatures, may it be a plant or a human being, is violence. However, Jains categorize living beings by the number of senses they possess (from one to five senses). The level of violence that is committed when any creature is harmed depends on the senses it possesses. For example, plants and bacteria are one-sense beings and cows, pigs or humans are five-sense beings. Eating meat is many orders of magnitude more violent than a plant based diet. Compassionate Healthy DietResponsible Food Purchasing-Food preparation begins with food purchasing. We must be mindful of how the food arrives in the grocery store, what the labeling on the package means, and what process the food has already been subjected to. The Jain diet from growing to consuming it is treated in such a way as to minimize harm to living beings. Responsible Food Purchasing Eating and Drinking Out and Enjoying: Best Practices - When it comes to eating cruelty-free in North America, today’s options are endless. But confusion about food ingredients, not knowing where to find vegetarian-friendly restaurants, and uncertainty about meat-free meal preparation can hinder even the most committed vegetarian. For some, cooking a Jain meal can be spiritually uplifting and meditative, but eating out can be enjoyable and entertaining and a chance to try new tasty dishes. Whatever the reason, if we follow Eating Out: Best Practices, we can enjoy clean, healthy vegetarian food without any mixing and contamination with non-vegetarian food. A simple rule of thumb is to eat out at vegetarian restaurants. Most major cities have at least serveal such restaurants where one of them is probably a South Indian, another will be Buddhist, and some will be American Vegan/Vegetarian/Heath Food. Eating and Drinking Out and Enjoying: Best Practices Source: Jain Way of Life Handbook, A Guide to Compassionate, Healthy, and Happy Living, 2007